Hi GG,
So glad you managed to get an appointment at last, is there any possibility that you need to put some good bacteria back in there after your colon cleanse...I know you take the tablet for but my friend had awful gas that started after a barium thing...and her naturopath advised her to eat pre and probiotic food not have them in tablet form even the enteric coated ones as some people only respond to food based...guess it's the same reason we process food based vitamins easier.
Good luck Hun

Thanks mpb.

That's an idea, but I'm not sure it's possible...I can't have dairy and am very sensitive to most pre and probiotic foods...I can't have onion, garlic, etc. I suppose there's some coconut yogurt but that's all I can think of.

And I can't imagine this amount of gas is just from needing probiotics. its beyond description I honestly can't believe it.

If there was a build up of bad bacteria, the antibiotics should reduce the gas, but that's not the case.

So frustrated! Oh well I'll see what gastro says today. Getting really depressed, been too sick to leave the house except to see the doctor since a week before Christmas

Ah well yes that makes it quite difficult, when she was bad she had miso soup for a pre biotic and sauerkraut as the probiotic....always an option if nothing else works.
Really hope they manage to sort something out for you as this has been going on for ages now

Thanks mpb.

I had a horrible appointment yesterday. The gastro was to be honest inappropriate. My parents were there with me because I'm too weak and tired to even make sure I give him all the info, and they were shocked. He said he thought all my symptoms were entirely psychosomatic, and that no other doctor would even consider my case because I'm a hypochondriac and am exaggerating my symptoms apparently. My parents had to assure them that after 25 years they know that's not true, and have never seen me so ill.

It made me feel so unheard, so horrible. Of course at this point I'm anxious, which is not helping things - but when this started I was feeling better than I had in 4 months as my fissure was healing. My fear was that he would have no answers for me...and as usual what I feared is what happened.

My parents pushed him though, said that two other doctors have said I need small bowel MRI and endoscopy...how does he know there's nothing wrong if he hasn't looked?! He also hasn't looked at my liver, gall bladder, or considered that there may be another system involved (ex uterine fibroids or hormone problems).

Anyways, just a rant. I ended up with both tests scheduled over the next couple of weeks. I will be switching gastros after all this is over with.

Oh my goodness me that is awful, to say something like that is just plain wrong...ok if you had had every test going and nothing at all was showing up then maybe hint at the fact that it could be stress related and offer counselling. But to say something so mean when he hasn't even run any tests is just un called for. Of course your stressed who wouldn't be, but just because your stressed doesn't mean that's the cause of your problems...it's actually the result of all your health problems.
You had a life a job and a relationship before all this started, you were happy and functioning well...so where is the evidence that this is psychosomatic....he has none.
Well at least you will have the test soon Hun, have the antibiotics helped at all?
Big hugs x

Thanks mpb, I'm reeling a little today after that appointment. I will be talking to my gp about switching, I have no confidence he cares for me as a patient and basically thinks I'm nuts.

But yes! Endoscopy is actually tomorrow - they just called, must have had a cancellation. Antibiotics don't seem to be doing much but maybe I'll feel better when I'm done, just a few more days

Sorry to hear that you had such an awful experience and I hope that you can be referred to another doctor quickly.

And hopefully, you'll get some answers after the procedure tomorrow. Good luck!

Hi again guys - just an update!

So the antibiotics WORKED! The gas and pain stopped at day 7/8. I'm hoping whatever bug I had does NOT come back. Unfortunately, I still have some diarrhea despite being off the antibiotics for about a week. It is not the same as before (not as awful and stomach flu like, if you know what I mean), but still lots of loose stool every morning. As a result of the past month, the fissure site is much more sore, and i'm back to nearly constant pain, but still not as bad as when the wound was open.

I may try the metamucil again, but i'm nervous of the gastro symptoms being aggravated.

I have a last test - a MR Entography - next week. I HATE this test and i'm really dreading it...it's to examine the small bowel, and luckily there isn't a huge prep...but I do have to fast and then the part I dread - drinking a ton of barium and go lytely solution at the hospital before the test and then having liquid bms for the rest of the day....argh. I'm thinking I may just drink boost/ensure the day before and not eat, to make it easier on my system...any thoughts?

GG

Yay GG
So very pleased they worked for you Hun...improvement at last. I'm assuming you are doing this but try and put some sort of barrier cream on the fissure site before a BM as if they are still loose they may be acidic. I have had the barium and to be honest once I hadn't eaten for 4 days before as I was in too much pain...the blooming stuff still went through me like a tidal wave, so not certain if eating less would help or if that was just me lol.
I'm so very happy you have found some relief at last Hun
Big hugs x

Thanks mpb, will definitely keep the barrier cream handy.

Unfortunately I may have spoken too soon...almost two weeks after stopping antibiotics, the symptoms have begun to return.

I'm in a real bind now as my gastro really believes this is in my head...and the last tests he did are bound to be negative for anything, as I was taking antibiotics when he did them! And unfortunately, he has already spoken to my gp, who now also thinks this is in my head.

From everything I have read about giardia (which is what I suspected from the start) - Several stool samples are needed to diagnose (sometimes up to 5) and false negatives are extremely common. It also frequently returns after the first dose of antibiotics...

So I don't know what to do! I doubt anyone will prescribe the antibiotics to me again, and I know this is some sort of bug! Pain and gas started again last night and has continued into the morning.

I'm so frustrated I just want to cry.